Star Shot: Artspeak
June 5, 2015,by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
The USTA website will provide periodic glimpses at some of harness racing’s stars throughout the season. Today, we look at award-winning 3-year-old male pacer Artspeak.
ARTSPEAK
Western Ideal – The Art Museum – Artsplace
Owners: Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Joe Sbrocco, In The Gym Partners
Breeders: Brittany Farms, Melvin Hartman
Trainer: Tony Alagna
Driver: Scott Zeron
2015 Record: 2-2-0-0; $60,000; 1:48.4m
2014 Record: 10-8-0-2; $742,185; 1:50.2s
Career: 12-10-0-2; $802,185; 1:48.4m
Honors: Dan Patch and O’Brien awards for best 2-year-old male pacer in 2014.
Top wins: 2014 Metro Pace, 2014 Governor’s Cup, 2015 and 2014 New Jersey Sire Stakes championships.
The last time: Artspeak won the $100,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final for 3-year-old male pacers from post eight at the Meadowlands in a career-best 1:48.4 on May 30. Artspeak and driver Scott Zeron settled into fifth place on the first turn, then made up a double-digit deficit in lengths in less than a quarter of a mile to take the lead just beyond the halfway point. Wrapped up in the stretch, Artspeak went on to win by three lengths.
“His first start he was wrapped up in (1):49 and that was really visually impressive to see,” trainer Tony Alagna said. “But the other day he made a huge move with the (earplugs) still in. That was a monster effort for his second start back. He came out of the race great. He actually put weight on this week, which after a mile like that is phenomenal. It means he’s on a good program right now. I’m very happy with him. He’s in good shape; we just have to keep him that way.”
The next time: Artspeak will get the weekend off before heading to Ontario to compete in the June 13 eliminations for the C$1 million North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack. The final is June 20. It could be the start of a six-week stretch that brings Artspeak to the Max C. Hempt Memorial at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and the Meadowlands Pace at the Meadowlands.
Former Alagna Stable star Captaintreacherous swept all three events in 2013, but received a bye to the Meadowlands Pace final and avoided having to race six consecutive weeks.
USTA/Ken Weingartner photo
Artspeak will next race at Mohawk in the North America Cup eliminations on June 13.
“If you can save yourself a start now, hopefully you can make it through that series of races,” Alagna said. “That’s why I’m so glad to give him this week off. He’s fit, I just have to keep him fresh and happy and he’ll take care of the rest. If the horse seems like he’s in good shape, we’ll certainly take (all three races) into consideration. He’s going to tell us if he’s ready to do it.”
No regrets: Alagna and Artspeak’s owners decided to skip last year’s Breeders Crown in late November in favor of an extra month of rest for the colt to prepare for this season.
“Of course I think he could have won the Breeders Crown if we went, and I didn’t want to turn down the chance for $250,000 for the owners, but I really felt in my heart it was the right thing to do. I knew he’d lost weight; he’d been going since June and I thought enough was enough. I knew if I put him away he’d get an extra 30 days at Brittany (Farms) in the green grass.
“When he came off the truck from Brittany, I said we did the right thing. Win, lose or draw, the horse looked amazing. He wouldn’t have gotten that with five weeks. It was that extra month that really did the trick. I’m really happy with how he’s come back this year.”
Stride right: Artspeak made breaks twice last year, finishing third on both occasions, and went off stride in his first qualifier this year. Alagna attributed the break in the qualifier to the length of the colt’s hobbles, which he believes he corrected by resetting them to last year’s length.
“I’m never going to say it will never happen again, but he’s been phenomenal,” Alagna said. “We trained him after he made the break — before I qualified him back (the second time) — and I knew that we were set. From that point on, I didn’t give it a second thought.
USTA photo
Tony Alagna
“He qualified fantastic (finishing fifth in 1:53.4). Everyone thought the line wasn’t that impressive but nobody saw what he did after the wire. After the wire he circled the field and was up by five (lengths) by the time I walked outside from the paddock. Then his first start told the tale. He was exactly where I told everybody he was at. And he came back with an even more incredible performance in the (New Jersey Sire Stakes) final.”
In focus: Artspeak lacks the personality of Captaintreacherous, but he seems to know what it is all about when it comes to racing.
“Captaintreacherous had personality plus. He was like a big clown,” Alagna said. “(Artspeak) is a great-feeling horse, but he doesn’t have the big kid mentality that Captain did. This horse has got a lot more focus, even in the barn. But he’s got a really good personality. He doesn’t have bad days in the barn. He doesn’t wake up on the wrong side of the bed. He’s very cut and dry. He’s not a quirky horse. He really takes care of himself.”
Looking out for No. 1: “Everyone wants to be No. 1,” Alagna said. “That’s understandable. But all I do is focus on my horse. I know if I bring my horse ready to race he’ll take care of the rest. I don’t have to worry about the other horses. I just have to worry about doing my job with mine and what’s going to be will be. There are plenty of horses out there that look good, but as long as I do my job and he does his thing on the track, then I feel like we’re in good shape.”